A referendum over Catalonia 's future as a part of Spain has been put on hold .

Spain 's Constitutional Court on Monday suspended the planned referendum on independence for Spain 's Catalonia region set to happen on November 9 , a court spokeswoman told CNN .

The court has suspended the referendum as it consider the grounds of a lawsuit issued by Spain 's federal government that challenged the planned independence vote as `` unconstitutional . ''

The President of the Catalonia region , Artur Mas , on Saturday had signed a decree setting the date for the vote .

Even before the Constitutional Court suspended the plan , the federal government had made it clear that it any such referendum . A legal and political confrontation was expected .

The next move is in Catalonia 's hand -- and whether its leaders decide to go ahead with the vote anyway .

The holding of Scotland 's independence referendum earlier this month buoyed other separatist movements around the world , despite Scottish voters opting to remain part of the United Kingdom .

Mas has said that Catalonia wants to speak , wants to be heard and wants to vote .

On September 11 , Catalan national day , hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona for the third year running demanding a vote on independence be held .

But Madrid argues that Catalonia , which represents one fifth of Spain 's economy , already has broad home-rule powers , including its own parliament , police force and control over education and health . And it insists that the Spanish Constitution does not allow any of Spain 's 17 regions to unilaterally break away .

Catalonia is a region of northeastern Spain , with Barcelona -- the second-largest city in Spain -- as its capital .

A referendum is expected to ask a two-part question : `` Should Catalonia be a state ? '' And those who vote yes to that can then go to vote on the second question : `` Should that state be independent ? ''

Polls indicate that a majority of Catalans want to have a chance to vote but that less than a majority would vote for independence , given the chance .

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A top Spanish court suspends Catalonia 's referendum on independence

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The vote was set this weekend for November 9

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The federal government filed a lawsuit calling the vote unconstitutional